40 low-calorie meals

Our complete low-calorie meals all come under 500 calories. They include a lighter version of a pad thai using courgetti instead of noodles (check out our courgetti recipes here), warming chicken curry, and even a low-calorie lasagne. Looking for a low-calorie vegetarian dinner? Try our vegan chilli packed with nutritious avocado, black beans and quinoa. Alternatively, check out these high-calorie foods to try.

At olive, you won’t find us telling you what to eat, and especially not what to cut out – we’d rather give you all the facts to make your own decisions on what constitutes a balanced and nutritious diet that works for you. We’re all about the joy of food – whether that’s a fudgy chocolate cake, a colourful salad or a speedy low-calorie curry that’s full of flavour. So happy cooking and happy eating!

Here are some tips for low-calorie meals

Use a little less oil

A recipe may ask for a splash of oil or a few tablespoons but you can usually get away with using a lot less – think teaspoons rather than tablespoons. A good tip is to use a non-stick frying pan as things are less likely to stick to the surface. You can also use water instead of oil when frying ingredients such as onions. This helps soften the onion then evaporates so they can then start to take on colour. If using oil when roasting, try adding the ingredients to a bowl first, before drizzling in a little oil and tossing well. You’ll find that a little oil goes a long way when done like this. Putting the ingredient into the tray first, then drizzling with oil often leads to an excess of oil being used.

Use lighter carb alternatives

Carbs are an important part of a balanced diet but if you want to go lighter on the carbs there are some great alternatives such as butternut squash sheets which are great in lasagnes, courgetti for using in stir-fries or pasta dishes, and cauliflower rice to serve with your favourite curry or chilli. You can also eat more complex carbs such as brown rice, quinoa, lentils, beans and oats – they all take longer to digest so are thought to be a better source of sustained energy.

Batch cooking and freezing

Having a few meals stashed away in the freezer will help if you’ve had a busy day and need something extra-quick for dinner. Lots of these recipes are easily doubled so you can cook a big batch then portion out and freeze. Remember to label your plastic containers so you can tell the difference between a chilli and pasta sauce. Our chicken saag, beef bourguignon, lamb stew and lentil bolognese recipes will all freeze brilliantly.

Low-calorie dinner recipes

Healthy turkey burgers

Looking for a low-calorie meal that’s packed with flavour? Have a go at our turkey mince burgers, sandwiched with lettuce, tomato, onion slices and tomato chutney.

Two Turkey Burgers in Buns with Lettuce and Tomato on a Wooden Board

Healthy jacket potato

Looking for a low-calorie lunch that ticks all the flavour boxes? Check out this recipe for a niçoise salad-filled jacket potato.

Spicy pork meatballs with tzatziki

Cook these spicy pork meatballs and serve on orzo and baby leaf greens for a healthy, low-fat midweek meal.

Spicy Pork Meatball Recipe with Tzatziki Dip

Vietnamese dumpling noodle bowl

Inspired by Vietnamese bun cha gio, this quick, low-calorie noodle dish is packed with texture from crispy pan-fried gyozas and plenty of colour from fresh herbs and veg.

A Bowl of Dumplings, Fresh Veg and Noodles with Chopsticks on a Wooden Surface

Baked orzo with harissa prawns

Flavour prawns with harissa, dill, garlic and lemon, then serve swirled through orzo pasta for a speedy but sophisticated midweek dinner.

Healthy beans on toast

Ezme, a Turkish-inspired paste with tomatoes, peppers, onion and pomegranate molasses, adds extra flavour in these low-cal baked beans on toast with a twist. It’s low in salt, too.

Healthy egg-fried rice

Quick, easy and low in calories, check out this ginger fried rice with sweet juicy crab for extra oomph.

Healthy chicken stir-fry

This shredded chicken stir-fry by Nadine Brown comes in at under 500 calories, but its fresh, gingery flavour and red chilli heat means it doesn’t compromise on flavour.

Three plates of colourful stir-fry with drinks on the side

Teriyaki salmon salad

Try our simple salmon salad recipe with crunchy green beans, broccoli and a sweet teriyaki dressing, ready in just 15 minutes.

Salmon Salad With Green Beans and Broccoli

Balsamic lentils with pork fillet

Balsamic offers a tartness to our vibrant pork dish. This well-balanced meal with yummy lentils is high in protein but low in calories and salt – perfect for a midweek meal for four.

Chorizo, greens and bean stew

Check out our hearty, healthy and high-protein chorizo stew dinner, flavoured with sweet smoked paprika and peppered with cannellini beans, cherry tomatoes and kale.

Healthy vegan quinoa and black bean chilli

This quinoa and black bean chilli recipe is high in protein, low in calories and vegan – but still tastes impossibly creamy. Try our vegan one-pot or click here to see our other vegan recipes.

Turkey keema curry

Packed with fresh and zingy flavours, and plenty of punchy spices, this low-calorie Indian turkey mince curry makes an easy midweek meal.

Stuffed butternut squash with feta

Transform butternut squash into a colourful, low-calorie midweek dinner by stuffing it with rice, lemon zest, raisins, dill, pine nuts and feta.

Two butternut squash halves stuffed with feta, rice and sultanas

One-pan fish stew

Pair juicy prawns with white fish, creamy butter beans, feta and earthy kale in a flavoursome tomato sauce. This easy one-pot dinner is ready in just 40 minutes.

Gigantes plaki (Greek baked beans)

Ready in under an hour, this Greek one-pot is packed with plenty of fresh flavours as well as protein and fibre, making it a healthy vegetarian meal idea with less than 300 calories. Check out our best Greek recipes.

Lighter pad thai

This recipe for pad thai is packed full of authentic Thai flavours but without the high calorie count as we've used courgetti instead of noodles. It's really easy to make and ready in under 30 minutes, perfect for a healthy midweek fix.

Frying pan full of healthy Pad Thai with prawns

Chicken saag

Our chicken saag recipe proves that you can eat healthily without having to miss out on your favourite foods. It's lighter than regular curries but still filling and satisfying. Try our low-calorie curry ideas.

Chicken satay noodle salad

Check out our easy chicken satay noodle salad recipe with red cabbage, shredded carrots and roasted peanuts. This vibrant crunchy salad is light, nourishing and ready in an hour.

Light paneer curry

Cook this veg-heavy curry for a healthy vegetarian meal. The peas add extra protein while ginger and plum tomatoes make a light, fragrant sauce.

Miso tofu soup

Give this miso soup with silken tofu a go for a dinner – it’s light, creamy and low in calories.

Two white bowls filled with noodles, green vegetable and eggs with a bright orange yolk

Healthy tacos

Stuffed with smoky courgette, zesty black beans, pickled red onion and creamy avocado, these healthy tacos are bursting with flavour – they happen to be low in calories and vegan, too.

Healthy Courgette Tacos on a Plate with Pickled Onions

Chicken and spinach pilaf

Nothing beats a fail-safe pilaf recipe for a quick (but nutritious) midweek dinner. Ours is coloured with turmeric and comes packed with baby spinach and coriander. It's also great for using up left-over chicken.

Orecchiette with anchovies, cavolo nero and caramelised onions

This low-calorie, simple but tasty pasta dish with salty anchovies and fresh seasonal cavolo nero makes a quick and easy mid-week evening meal for two. Cavolo nero, also known as black kale, is a rich but robust brassica, originally from Tuscany. It’s great in soups, stews and hearty pasta dishes.